Apple (AAPL) Courts the Fashion World as iWatch Expectations Mount

Reuters reports that tech writers aren’t the only journalists being invited to Apple’s (AAPL)’s September 9 media event, where it’s heavily speculated the tech giant will introduce its own smartwatch.

Giving even more merit to the idea that Cupertino will be announcing its much anticipated wearable iWatch next Tuesday, is the fact that the company has reportedly invited an unprecedented number of top fashion editors and bloggers to the event.

Several fashion media editors told Reuters they received invitations for the first time to an Apple annual September launch-event, which they took as confirmation of an iWatch launch.

“I assume it’s because they are unveiling a wearable,” Lea Goldman, a first-time invitee who works as a features and special projects director for Marie Claire magazine told the publication. “This suggests Apple is serious about tapping into the fashion world, which often sits on the sidelines.”

Apple, as always, declined to comment. That however, doesn’t deny the fact that the company’s courtship to the fashion press and the fashion industry has recently grown more aggressive. Over the last year, the firm has hired a handful of executives from the fashion industry, including Patrick Pruniaux, the former VP of sales and retail at Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer. As recently as last month, the iPhone maker hosted a “first-of-its-kind event” at an Apple Store in New York showcasing fashion and retail apps to a group of magazine style editors, according to an invitation seen by Reuters.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has been very accurate regarding Apple predictions, has previously suggested in relation to Cupertino’s entry into the field of wearable technology, that conquering the fashion world is the company’s main key if it wants to repeat its history of turning niche technology products into mainstream devices.

“Fashion is the name of the game; most expensive model likely priced at several thousand US dollars,” Kuo has written. “Referring to the rules of the fashion market, we predict the iWatch casing and band will come in various materials. The most expensive model of the iWatch line will carry a price tag of several thousand US dollars.”

Kuo believes the iWatch “will be [Apple’s] most important product of 2014, outshining even the iPhone 6.”

Shares in the $587.53 billion market cap company rose $0.87 percent on Friday to close at $98.97.